BEST IS YET TO COME

The Best Show on Netflix Returns With a Bang

Keri Russell’s messy ambassador is back and better than ever. Warning: Season 4 spoilers ahead.

The Diplomat has already killed one commander-in-chief, but Grace Penn’s (Allison Janney) time in the White House could be cut short after the shock events at the end of the fourth season opener. Is Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) about to become president?

Rather than save one of its biggest shocks for the finale, the first gasp-worthy moment of the Netflix political thriller occurs at the end of the first episode when Grace is—spoiler alert!—shot in the stomach by an unseen gunman.

Creator Debora Cahn is not messing around with a table-setting return, immediately placing Grace in the (literal) crosshairs after the previous season ended with another delicious twist. Much like Slow Horses, fans aren’t left waiting years to see what happens next, which only heightens the electric pacing.

While Cahn, Janney, and Bradley Whitford (who plays Grace’s husband, Todd) all worked on The West Wing, this is not a case of The Diplomat reheating those TV nachos. The Diplomat excels at cliffhanger endings, whether it is the premiere, finale, or even midseason. But a show that relies only on bombshells will always leave you hungry for more. Luckily, Cahn doesn’t rely on twisty climaxes to deliver edge-of-your-seat drama; the layered relationships and ongoing conflicts add depth amid the bonkers antics.

The premiere is a major showcase for Keri Russell as Ambassador Kate Wyler, illustrating her ability to switch gears within a scene. Having watched the rest of the season, it is clear why Russell’s partner Matthew Rhys predicted backstage at this year’s Emmy Awards that she would get the long-overdue accolade for her work on The Diplomat’s fourth season.

Or at least, that is what should happen come next September.

Kicking off mere moments after Kate connected the dots that Grace and Hal had conspired to steal a Doomsday-level nuke from a Russian submarine that sank off the coast of the U.K. already gives a sense of urgency. The Brits are under the impression that they are collaborating with the United States to bury the vessel in concrete so that no one can access the superweapon on board.

Now, Kate is stuck trying to spin the Penn administration lie and maintain an alliance that is close to falling apart. All that plus the threat of Russia discovering their submarine is missing its special cargo.

It is one lie after another, and the special relationship is already at risk of imploding due to a previous unsanctioned operation that resulted in the deaths of 41 British servicemen in the first season. It doesn’t matter that no one on the HMS Courageous was supposed to die, as Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) still needs to hold someone accountable.

This incident is the foundation of this entire house of cards, and blaming everything on the recently deceased president (who had no idea Grace had gone rogue) has stemmed the fury—for now. The British public is still keen to make its ire known, which is why Grace’s motorcade has to make an unscheduled stop at Windsor Castle as a protest blocks its journey to Heathrow Airport.

Windsor Castle has also been used to show discontent with the current real-life president, and viewers might notice that The Diplomat’s version of the 11th-century landmark looks a little different (the Elizabethan Burghley House stands in for the Norman fortress). At first, it isn’t entirely clear why we need to see so much of the royal residence’s exterior when the motorcade arrives, other than to illustrate Kate’s concern that this is “going to be a whole thing” even with the king out of town.

Well, that, and to give Todd a reason to quip about the Windsor Castle guards’ furry hats and what they are made of, which he circles back to as they depart for the airport. When someone says “your safety is the utmost concern” amid the pomp and circumstance of this arrival, it should’ve set off warning bells that something bad was about to happen.

As with every location on this show, the history is fully on display, and you only have to suspend disbelief that this is Windsor when you see it from the outside. The gilded interiors pack a visual punch as Kate tries—and fails—to make Grace see reason about the bold decision to steal the weapon without bringing the Brits into the plan.

It also makes for a powerful backdrop as Kate works overtime to save her crumbling marriage, convincing Hal she is all in on making it work despite their current difference of opinion. So often, Kate and Hal work all the angles and fire off snappy dialogue, even in the middle of a crisis. It stands out when Kate drops her guard and pulls Hal into the chapel for the unofficial vow renewal before all goes to hell on the Windsor lawn, and Russell captures Kate’s rarely seen softness and vulnerability.

Later on, during a friendly farewell, it becomes clear why seeing the expansive grounds is necessary. The phrase “real lifesaver” is uttered, and Grace thanks their hosts for their hospitality while the king is elsewhere. Again, none of this registers as foreboding, and the ups and downs of the preceding 45 minutes make for a strong premiere. It also didn’t seem strange that Grace had asked for a change of clothes earlier, switching from a dark ensemble to a white blouse that instantly reveals the gravity of the moment.

A whoosh and a clink, coupled with a chip on the car, made me sit up. Grace takes a tiny step back, surprised to see a growing patch of blood on her once-pristine outfit. “Shots fired” rings out, and Secret Service agents leap into action as everyone else dives to the floor. The screen cuts to black.

The Diplomat’s confident return reminds viewers how to deliver high-stakes drama and character development without dragging storylines out until the finale. It is something a lot of other streaming shows could learn from.

You don’t have to wait a week—or the summer hiatus, as The West Wing did with its gunfire cliffhanger—to find out whether Grace will survive or if Hal will be sworn in as the next president. Just binge ahead, and let the next episode autoplay. You won’t be disappointed with what comes next.

Obsessed with pop culture and entertainment? Follow us on Substack and YouTube for even more coverage.

Emma Fraser

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.